Fifth Avenue Mile tomorrow

New York, USA - Defending champion Lisa Dobriskey of Great Britain and American Olympic 1500m stars Bernard Lagat and Shannon Rowbury - the runners-up in last year’s event - will close out their 2009 seasons on the world’s most famous street in the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile this Saturday, September 26.
The race’s 29th running will feature a total or 14 Olympians, including Americans Christin Wurth-Thomas and Matt Tegenkamp and Dobriskey’s countrywoman Hannah England.

Dobriskey, 25, was the silver medallist at the 2009 IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Berlin in August. After a fourth-place finish in the 1500m at the 2008 Olympic Games, Dobriskey made her New York debut at last year’s Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile and finished just ahead of Rowbury to win in 4:18.6, the second-fastest time in the history of the race. She became the first British women’s champion at the event since Paula Radcliffe won in 1997.

“In a city that loves fabulous finishes, we’re thrilled to bring back our defending champion, who won a blazingly fast and competitive race last year,” said New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg. “We’re also very excited to have Shannon and Bernard here leading a stellar American field.”

Rowbury, 25 of San Francisco, won the bronze medal in the 1500m at the World Championships after capturing the USA Outdoor Championships 1500m title for the second year in a row. In 2008, Rowbury ran 4:20.34 to become America’s second-fastest female miler ever, behind Mary Decker Slaney.

Lagat, 34, of Tucson, has won two Olympic medals, seven World Championships titles, and seven titles in New York’s renowned Wanamaker Mile. Lagat will aim to become only the second man in history to win both the Fifth Avenue and Wanamaker miles in the same year; Isaac Viciosa of Spain captured both titles in 1997. A five-time USA champion in the 1500 and 5000m distances, Lagat has a personal best time of 3:47.28 for the mile.

A total prize purse of $30,000 for the men’s and women’s professional races will be offered at the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile, with the top men’s and women’s professional finishers each receiving $5,000.

Gordon Bakoulis for the IAAF